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UF upperclassmen are making their final housing decisions for the coming academic year
By Mackala Krichbaum, KrichbaumM@Findlay.edu
When deciding to live off-campus, accessibility and lifestyle are at the top of the list as to what draws students to off-campus housing. The stress levels are high for many as they decide where they want to live next year, who they want to live with and how to find potential housing situations.
The University of Findlay offers various roommate arrangements along with various locations within the campus. Students’ options range from dorm-style to apartment-style living with kitchens and private bathrooms in on-campus living, not including the option given to students within the radius of a commuter off-campus.
Students with the highest accumulated credit hours receive the first pick at housing.
For sophomore Megan Seidel, an Animal Science and Equestrian major, moving off campus ultimately was the best decision to fit her schedule and lifestyle. Seidel had no issues finding roommates when looking to live off campus.
“From the friends I have made since I came here and one is a current roommate, so we get along,” Seidel said.
Seidel and her roommates looked into different housing options that UF offers through the On-Campus Housing and Resident Life page located on the University website.
After much consideration, Seidel and her roommates began their search for an off-campus house on one of the local Facebook pages that shows the places available for rent throughout Findlay and surrounding areas. Seidel’s roommate found a house that met the needs of everyone, while also being a reasonable commute to and from campus as well as the barns.
Seidel currently lives in the Village on campus. One major factor for leaving campus comes with the price that UF charges per semester. Not having neighbors next to her and a private kitchen also played a factor in the cost of living.
“It was less expensive and we don’t have neighbors next to us,” Seidel said. “Probably having my own kitchen space. Well the house itself is $600-ish dollars less, but I am not required to have a meal plan so that is like another $6,000,”
Since becoming a student at UF, Seidel has only lived in the dormitory-style housing here on campus. Senior Aubrey Villard has experienced both dormitory and apartment-style living while studying here at UF, like the Townhouses and Derricks Square. For Villard, she has enjoyed apartment-style living while staying on-campus as it provides multiple amenities that don’t come with living in the dormitories.
“(My favorite living style depends on) probably whether I had my own room or I had to share it, and then if they had a kitchen or not,” said Villard.
When looking at housing for her final semester of her undergraduate, Villard notes that getting accepted into an upperclassmen hall can become challenging. Villard is a current resident in Derrick’s Square, an on-campus apartment-style house located near the University’s soccer facility. She shared what would encourage her to stay on campus more.
“Put dishwashers in. Maybe make it a little bit easier for people to get apartments and townhouses because there’s not that many of them,” Villard said. “I feel like the kids are like scrambling to get them and if not then they get stuck in a dorm. If you want upperclassmen to stay on campus, you need to make it more upperclassman-friendly.”
